First identified in April of 2009, H1N1 (swine flu) has already spread worldwide. Though most sufferers recover without medical treatment, swine flu can be deadly. People with weak immune systems are especially at risk. However, even they don’t need to walk around with face masks to avoid getting sick. Here’s how to prevent swine flu:Keep germs away from your mouth and nose. H1N1 spreads just like the flu, so wash your hands often. Use soap and warm water for 15-20 seconds. Scrub your fingernails, get in between your fingers, and don’t forget your wrists.

1. Keep germs away from your mouth and nose. H1N1 spreads just like the flu, so wash your hands often. Use soap and warm water for 15-20 seconds. Scrub your fingernails, get in between your fingers, and don’t forget your wrists. Read the rest of this entry »

Swine flu is making its rounds around the country—including your neighborhood—and over the weekend, President Obama declared the situation a national emergency. “Just being out in the world means you’ll encounter individuals who are shedding the virus,” says William Schaffner, MD, president-elect of the National Foundation for Infectious Diseases and chair of the department of preventive medicine at the Vanderbilt Medical Center in Nashville.

And you can’t always tell who’s infected. H1N1 is shed, “or excreted, to use a tackier term,” says Dr. Schaffner, in its highest concentrations the day before an individual gets really sick, mostly by traveling on the droplets that are spewed when someone coughs or sneezes. Read the rest of this entry »

Getting infected with the H1N1 virus that causes swine flu is a real possibility since the virus is continuing to spread and there’s still not enough vaccine to go around. Being informed, though, can help you reduce your risk. Here’s what you need to know to protect yourself and your family.

1. Pregnant women need one shot; young kids, two. Initial results from clinical trials show that pregnant women mount a healthy immune response after just one dose of the vaccine. They do, though, need the injectable version—which contains a dead virus—rather than the nasal spray, which contains a live but weakened virus. Read the rest of this entry »

Does My Child Have H1N1 (Swine) Flu?

The symptoms of H1N1 flu are similar to symptoms of regular influenza. Your child may have a fever (temperature of 100°F or greater), as well as:

– Headache

– Sore throat

– Body aches and extreme fatigue (tiredness)

– Coughing, sneezing, runny nose

– Vomiting and diarrhea Read the rest of this entry »